Chai Patel
@chaipatel.net
Migration, human rights, public law. He/him.
Reposted by Chai Patel
After the university sector, and potentially the nursing and care sectors, you’ve got to wonder how many other parts of our economy and society will be burnt to the ground in the despicable and also vain hope of attracting the votes of racists
New report from @rcn.org.uk highlights the devastating nature of the Home Secretary's proposed immigration reforms, declaring them a 'disaster' and 'entirely incompatible' with our health and care system.
www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-eve...
www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-eve...
Home Secretary’s proposed immigration reforms ‘entirely incompatible’ with ambitions for a National Care Service, warns RCN | Royal College of Nursing
Home Secretary’s proposed immigration reforms ‘entirely incompatible’ with ambitions for a National Care Service, warns RCN
www.rcn.org.uk
September 17, 2026 at 11:10 AM
After the university sector, and potentially the nursing and care sectors, you’ve got to wonder how many other parts of our economy and society will be burnt to the ground in the despicable and also vain hope of attracting the votes of racists
Reposted by Chai Patel
The UK government is making upwards of £4.9bn in profit from visa fees, citizenship fees & the immigration health surcharge. Meanwhile, people are getting into thousands of pounds of debt or going without food just to afford to these immigration fees.
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
Government makes £5bn a year from immigration fees while applicants…
Home Office’s fees are up to 10 times the processing cost – and rising every year
www.thebureauinvestigates.com
September 15, 2026 at 6:41 AM
The UK government is making upwards of £4.9bn in profit from visa fees, citizenship fees & the immigration health surcharge. Meanwhile, people are getting into thousands of pounds of debt or going without food just to afford to these immigration fees.
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
Reposted by Chai Patel
Look if you want to deal with money laundering, there are already laws in place. It's just that actually enforcing them would likely collapse the entire British economy so we just don't. No need to take it out on the unseasonably tanned gentleman giving you a fade.
September 14, 2026 at 1:14 PM
Look if you want to deal with money laundering, there are already laws in place. It's just that actually enforcing them would likely collapse the entire British economy so we just don't. No need to take it out on the unseasonably tanned gentleman giving you a fade.
Reposted by Chai Patel
I know that the in doctrine in English politics is to imagine that cities are occupied by, I don’t know, ghosts, but it is in fact a good and desirable policy aim that all our core cities (aka “population centres”) have good, free museums and galleries.
...Stonehenge artefacts. The current system does its best to concentrate tourist income in capital cities with National collections that need it least by subsidising visitors to National museums only. It's also very unfair to local and regional museums because, like the FT here, many ...
September 13, 2026 at 6:47 PM
I know that the in doctrine in English politics is to imagine that cities are occupied by, I don’t know, ghosts, but it is in fact a good and desirable policy aim that all our core cities (aka “population centres”) have good, free museums and galleries.
Reposted by Chai Patel
Given what has happened to the RNLI, this is when wider civil society should speak in solidarity about the far-right and political parties attacking charities delivering vital services for vulnerable people. The voluntary sector is part of our social fabric, it needs protecting.
September 9, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Given what has happened to the RNLI, this is when wider civil society should speak in solidarity about the far-right and political parties attacking charities delivering vital services for vulnerable people. The voluntary sector is part of our social fabric, it needs protecting.
Reposted by Chai Patel
Shabana Mahmood's settlement reforms would, if implemented, likely have a very damaging effect on integration. The parents of these children would be subjected to prolonged temporary status, tied to a specific job and financial penalties, all of which are socially and economically damaging.
One reason England does so well is our second generation immigrants outperform their peers which is not true in most OECD countries.
We are also very good at integration. And it's v sad that this is never acknowledge in debates on immigration.
We are also very good at integration. And it's v sad that this is never acknowledge in debates on immigration.
September 8, 2026 at 8:23 AM
Shabana Mahmood's settlement reforms would, if implemented, likely have a very damaging effect on integration. The parents of these children would be subjected to prolonged temporary status, tied to a specific job and financial penalties, all of which are socially and economically damaging.
Reposted by Chai Patel
If every statement about Extinction Rebellion had opened with "Climate change is the single biggest issue facing humanity, and we understand why people have legitimate concerns the world isn't doing enough to tackle it…" this approach might be *faintly* defensible. But they didn't, and it isn't.
They’re just pouring more fuel onto the fire. Why are the racists consistently called legitimate, whilst in a world that’s burning people who protest over climate change and genocide are not being afforded even a smidgeon of the same grace?
September 7, 2026 at 5:52 PM
If every statement about Extinction Rebellion had opened with "Climate change is the single biggest issue facing humanity, and we understand why people have legitimate concerns the world isn't doing enough to tackle it…" this approach might be *faintly* defensible. But they didn't, and it isn't.
Reposted by Chai Patel
The intimidatory atmosphere *is the whole point*! You can’t just divorce what they were expressing from the way in which they were expressing it! 🤦♂️
Britons tend to feel the masked demonstrations over the weekend were not a legitimate way of protesting, by 38% to 31%
Note: Only a minority of the public report following the news closely
Note: Only a minority of the public report following the news closely
September 7, 2026 at 4:49 PM
The intimidatory atmosphere *is the whole point*! You can’t just divorce what they were expressing from the way in which they were expressing it! 🤦♂️
Reposted by Chai Patel
Labour MP & ex-immigration minister Mike Tapp here, telling the racists they’re right, & criticising them only for going about it wrong & being insufficiently appreciative of the government’s efforts to placate them, and also equating racists with the targets of racism
September 6, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Labour MP & ex-immigration minister Mike Tapp here, telling the racists they’re right, & criticising them only for going about it wrong & being insufficiently appreciative of the government’s efforts to placate them, and also equating racists with the targets of racism
Reposted by Chai Patel
Great news that Justin Bates KC will be trying to keep the Nearly Legal housing law blog going despite the very sad death of its founder, Giles Peaker. Justin needs help, though. If you are into housing law, take a look: nearlylegal.co.uk/2026/08/tech...
Technical difficulties and plans for the future - Nearly Legal: Housing Law News and Comment
I am sorry that the site has been down for a few days. It was nothing more complicated than missed payments to the hosting company which Giles had been unable to authorise, for obvious reasons. I want...
nearlylegal.co.uk
September 3, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Great news that Justin Bates KC will be trying to keep the Nearly Legal housing law blog going despite the very sad death of its founder, Giles Peaker. Justin needs help, though. If you are into housing law, take a look: nearlylegal.co.uk/2026/08/tech...
Reposted by Chai Patel
The higher education participation rate for UK born Bangladeshi women went from around 2% (not a typo) in 1983 to nearly 67% in 2025
This must be one of the most dramatic, fast social changes in recent British history, and one that is barely noted or understood
This must be one of the most dramatic, fast social changes in recent British history, and one that is barely noted or understood
August 20, 2026 at 1:32 PM
The higher education participation rate for UK born Bangladeshi women went from around 2% (not a typo) in 1983 to nearly 67% in 2025
This must be one of the most dramatic, fast social changes in recent British history, and one that is barely noted or understood
This must be one of the most dramatic, fast social changes in recent British history, and one that is barely noted or understood
Reposted by Chai Patel
Democracy Now! in the US (@democracynow.org) has an exclusive interview with Rajiv Menon KC, the lawyer for a Palestine Action defendant who is facing contempt of court charges youtu.be/ICnflIjCObQ?...
Exclusive: Palestine Action Lawyer Rajiv Menon Breaks Silence on Facing Contempt Charges in U.K.
YouTube video by Democracy Now!
youtu.be
August 17, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Democracy Now! in the US (@democracynow.org) has an exclusive interview with Rajiv Menon KC, the lawyer for a Palestine Action defendant who is facing contempt of court charges youtu.be/ICnflIjCObQ?...
Burnham : 'Where we are going you won't need barbecues'.
August 14, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Burnham : 'Where we are going you won't need barbecues'.
Reposted by Chai Patel
There has been a converted attempt here (including by the current Home Sec) to promote the "Danish model" of anti-immigrant policy as being somehow consistent with social democratic/progressive values.
So we should welcome this mask-off moment from the Danish PM.
So we should welcome this mask-off moment from the Danish PM.
Mette Frederiksen and Giorgia Meloni issued a statement on Instagram declaring a partnership aimed at “protecting Europe’s Christian cultural heritage” by expelling more migrants, building “return hubs in third countries,” and finding “innovative solutions outside Europe.”
Full post below🧵 1/2
Full post below🧵 1/2
August 10, 2026 at 8:18 PM
There has been a converted attempt here (including by the current Home Sec) to promote the "Danish model" of anti-immigrant policy as being somehow consistent with social democratic/progressive values.
So we should welcome this mask-off moment from the Danish PM.
So we should welcome this mask-off moment from the Danish PM.
Reposted by Chai Patel
The multimillionaire ex-CEO of Serco (2014-2023) - the company the Home Office has handed billions to run sub-standard and dangerous asylum accommodation - is now the Lead Non-Executive Director at... the Home Office. www.gov.uk/government/p...
Rupert Soames OBE
Rupert Soames joined the Home Office as a non-executive director in June 2026. He is a highly experienced UK public company chief executive officer (CEO), having served 11 years as CEO of Aggreko, fol...
www.gov.uk
August 10, 2026 at 9:07 AM
The multimillionaire ex-CEO of Serco (2014-2023) - the company the Home Office has handed billions to run sub-standard and dangerous asylum accommodation - is now the Lead Non-Executive Director at... the Home Office. www.gov.uk/government/p...
Reposted by Chai Patel
Really do think this is true. There seems to be a weird inability of many leading politicians and pundits to understand that many many people hold sincerely socially progressive beliefs and, crucially, will vote accordingly
I think there's a generational aspect at play here where a lot of the PLP simply don't understand how ingrained social liberalism is within under-40s and that no amount of economic "radicalism", real or otherwise, can compensate for being seen to be reactionary.
August 10, 2026 at 9:11 AM
Really do think this is true. There seems to be a weird inability of many leading politicians and pundits to understand that many many people hold sincerely socially progressive beliefs and, crucially, will vote accordingly
Reposted by Chai Patel
The British Foreign Office say that Sweden has an inexplicably hardline approach, meanwhile the British Home Office .....
Terrible for individual human beings when states act like this and nobody deserves it to happen to them, whatever their nationality.
Terrible for individual human beings when states act like this and nobody deserves it to happen to them, whatever their nationality.
British widow, 78, told to leave Sweden under Brexit rules after living there for 21 years
Authorities say application to stay was made too late, as UK officials say Sweden takes ‘stricter approach’ than other EU countries
www.theguardian.com
August 10, 2026 at 6:57 AM
The British Foreign Office say that Sweden has an inexplicably hardline approach, meanwhile the British Home Office .....
Terrible for individual human beings when states act like this and nobody deserves it to happen to them, whatever their nationality.
Terrible for individual human beings when states act like this and nobody deserves it to happen to them, whatever their nationality.
Reposted by Chai Patel
I genuinely don't understand how @antoniabance.bsky.social gets from
"I don't need mad speeches from the PM about strangers" [top]
to
"I'm broadly fine with [forced remigration of 100,000s of people who came here legally to work]" [bottom]
..which was the "mad speech about strangers" policy..
"I don't need mad speeches from the PM about strangers" [top]
to
"I'm broadly fine with [forced remigration of 100,000s of people who came here legally to work]" [bottom]
..which was the "mad speech about strangers" policy..
August 9, 2026 at 5:05 PM
I genuinely don't understand how @antoniabance.bsky.social gets from
"I don't need mad speeches from the PM about strangers" [top]
to
"I'm broadly fine with [forced remigration of 100,000s of people who came here legally to work]" [bottom]
..which was the "mad speech about strangers" policy..
"I don't need mad speeches from the PM about strangers" [top]
to
"I'm broadly fine with [forced remigration of 100,000s of people who came here legally to work]" [bottom]
..which was the "mad speech about strangers" policy..
Reposted by Chai Patel
If a person lies on their CV to get a job, should losing their salary be part of their punishment for their 'CV Fraud'?
In a new post on @labourblog.bsky.social I show that the confiscation of wages is problematic and reflects a misunderstanding of work:
uklabourlawblog.com/2026/08/07/c...
In a new post on @labourblog.bsky.social I show that the confiscation of wages is problematic and reflects a misunderstanding of work:
uklabourlawblog.com/2026/08/07/c...
“Cheating honest workers out of employment”: The confiscation of wages as proceeds of crime – by Maayan Niezna
Image by AlexanderStein from Pixabay In response to some work-related criminal offences, sanctions under UK law include not only fines and imprisonment, but also the confiscation of wages as procee…
uklabourlawblog.com
August 7, 2026 at 4:32 PM
If a person lies on their CV to get a job, should losing their salary be part of their punishment for their 'CV Fraud'?
In a new post on @labourblog.bsky.social I show that the confiscation of wages is problematic and reflects a misunderstanding of work:
uklabourlawblog.com/2026/08/07/c...
In a new post on @labourblog.bsky.social I show that the confiscation of wages is problematic and reflects a misunderstanding of work:
uklabourlawblog.com/2026/08/07/c...
Reposted by Chai Patel
I absolutely literally, while at school, was more than once told to my face that it was unfair/unkind of me to be topping the class in some science / maths subject because boys would be demoralised.
I am a girl. I like reptiles and horror movies and science fiction and comics and TTRPGs, and for my entire life, every time I have entered a space, I have had to prove that I didn't "steal" it from the person* it rightfully belonged to.
(*Boy, then man.)
(*Boy, then man.)
August 8, 2026 at 5:13 PM
I absolutely literally, while at school, was more than once told to my face that it was unfair/unkind of me to be topping the class in some science / maths subject because boys would be demoralised.
Reposted by Chai Patel
Whilst Andy Burnham has found the time to opine on such vital issues as 'vertical drinking', and whether a bread roll should be called a ‘barm’, he has not found the time to comment on some of the worst racist violence on Britain's streets in the postwar period
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/illegitima...
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/illegitima...
Illegitimate Concerns: Andy Burnham's Non-Response to the Thetford Pogrom Is His First Big Failure
Whilst happy to opine on 'vertical drinking' and whether bread rolls should be called 'barms', our new PM has had nothing to say about three days of horrific racist violence on our streets
www.adambienkov.co.uk
August 8, 2026 at 8:35 AM
Whilst Andy Burnham has found the time to opine on such vital issues as 'vertical drinking', and whether a bread roll should be called a ‘barm’, he has not found the time to comment on some of the worst racist violence on Britain's streets in the postwar period
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/illegitima...
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/illegitima...
Reposted by Chai Patel
It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to think of scenarios in which 3+ days of race riots, culminating in break-ins to property and apparent attempts to lynch or kidnap the occupants, would be basically the only thing on the news
Obviously not to downplay the horror of the incident in Thailand, but I’d really love to hear about the editorial decision making behind the BBC running a live page on that but not on an ongoing pogrom in the UK
Police make further arrests as Thetford disorder continues
The arrests follow disturbances linked to anti-immigration protests in the market town.
www.bbc.co.uk
August 7, 2026 at 1:13 PM
It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to think of scenarios in which 3+ days of race riots, culminating in break-ins to property and apparent attempts to lynch or kidnap the occupants, would be basically the only thing on the news
Reposted by Chai Patel
It dismays me to see that the BBC has replaced 'alleged' with 'suspected', which entirely misses the point. It's completely wrong to use criminal justice language in relation to people seeking asylum.
August 7, 2026 at 10:27 AM
It dismays me to see that the BBC has replaced 'alleged' with 'suspected', which entirely misses the point. It's completely wrong to use criminal justice language in relation to people seeking asylum.
Reposted by Chai Patel
End-to-end encryption is an essential security tool that protects our personal data, including our bank details, health information, private conversations and images.
That's why alongside Privacy International, we're challenging the Technical Capability Notice (TCN) regime.
That's why alongside Privacy International, we're challenging the Technical Capability Notice (TCN) regime.
August 7, 2026 at 11:19 AM
End-to-end encryption is an essential security tool that protects our personal data, including our bank details, health information, private conversations and images.
That's why alongside Privacy International, we're challenging the Technical Capability Notice (TCN) regime.
That's why alongside Privacy International, we're challenging the Technical Capability Notice (TCN) regime.
Reposted by Chai Patel
"Legitimate concerns" is starting to feel very "you had people that were very fine people on both sides"
August 7, 2026 at 10:03 AM
"Legitimate concerns" is starting to feel very "you had people that were very fine people on both sides"